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Diet wellness isn’t just about eating the right foods to help you lose weight; it’s also about striking the right nutritional balance for your wellbeing so that you eat clean, stay energised and still have room in your life for dessert. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up a few experts and asked for their favourite diet tips.
1. Make Room for Pudding: ‘Ditch the all-or-nothing mentality,’ encourages Cynthia Sass, RD, author of S.A.S.S. Yourself Slim: Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds and Lose Inches. ‘Instead of being either perfect or off the rails, aim for a realistic balance. For example, if you’re craving something carb-rich, like a brownie for dessert, omit the starch from your dinner, but keep the veggies and lean protein. Making room for treats while still eating healthfully overall makes a whole lot more sense than yo-yoing between strict dieting and overindulging.’
2. Practise Quality Control: According to Joel Fuhrman, M.D., author of Eat to Live Cookbook, ‘You can have the most incredible combination of seasonings and superb preparation, but if the quality of the ingredients is poor, the dish will miss the mark. The most simple foods are delicious as long as the ingredients are top quality. Don’t skimp on quality or freshness.’
3. Look at the Big Picture: ‘Eating well is about the whole dietary pattern—not one food, nutrient, or ingredient,’ asserts David L. Katz, MD, MPH, director of the Yale University Prevention Research Centre and author of Disease Proof. ‘Instead of focusing on eating one nutrient at a time to protect one component of health at a time, eat foods of high overall nutritional quality as part of a wholesome diet, and you’ll defend against virtually all forms of ill health.’
4. Appreciate Your Indulgences: Daphne Oz, co-host of ABC’s The Chew and author of Relish: An Adventure in Food, Style, and Everyday Fun, enthuses, ‘You only get one chance to live fully, so relish those opportunities to try an amazing dessert, dig in to an unforgettable meal, and enjoy with abandon.’
5. Taste the Rainbow: ‘When you’re making a plate of food, always ask “where’s the colour?” advises Ellie Krieger, RD, Food Network host and author of Weeknight Wonders. ‘In other words, always include a colourful fruit or vegetable in each meal or snack.’
6. Load Up on Leafy Greens: Frank Lipman, MD, founder of Eleven-Eleven Wellness Centre in New York City, recommends, ‘Whether you add a greens powder to your smoothie or have kale or spinach with your dinner, get dark leafy greens into your body daily. They benefit every cell of your body and deliver more nutrients calorie for calorie than just about any other food on the planet.’
7. Eat Fresh Whole Foods: Deepak Chopra, MD, author of What Are You Hungry For? notes, ‘When you look at the whole package of energy, the food you eat should match the story you want to live, which means: as fresh as possible, without dullness, repetition, and routine. As colourful as possible, giving delight to the eyes; food is a rainbow brought down to earth. As cheerful as possible, maximizing moments of happiness and pleasure.’
8. Start Your Day Right: ‘Eat a protein-rich breakfast to refuel your body after a night of rest, satisfy your appetite so you’re less likely to graze later, and prime you to make healthy food choices throughout the rest of your day,’ instructs Joy Bauer, RD, nutrition and health expert on Today.
9. Keep it Real: Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, warns, ‘The harder it is to tell what a food looked like when it came out of the ground, the more likely that food is highly processed.’
If you heard something was hailed in ancient Eastern medicine as the “mushroom of immortality” and the “medicine of kings,” you’d expect it to benefit your wellbeing in a pretty monumental way, right? Luckily for you, this is an accurate assumption to make about reishi, the fungus prized for the role it plays in complementary wellness. According to wellness experts, reishi can help to to boost your immune system, fight cancer, ward off heart disease, calm your nerves and relieve both allergies and inflammation – mushroom of immortality indeed!
In her book New Whole Foods Encyclopaedia, Rebecca Wood writes, ‘Reishi indeed sounds like a cure-all…An immunostimulant, it is helpful for people with AIDS, leaky-gut syndrome, Epstein-Barr, chronic bronchitis and other infectious diseases. It is used as an aid to sleep, as a diuretic, as a laxative and to lower cholesterol.’ It almost seems too good to be true – but is it? According to Andrew Weil, MD, author of 8 Weeks To Optimum Health, ‘Reishi is a purely medicinal mushroom, not a culinary one, both because it is hard and woody and because it tastes very bitter. But it is non-toxic and has been the subject of a surprising amount of scientific research, both in Asia and the West…Like maitake and other related mushroom species, reishi improves immune function and inhibits the growth of some malignant tumours. Additionally, it shows significant anti-inflammatory effect, reduces allergic responsiveness, and protects the liver.’
So how does it work? Weil explains, ‘One key function, identified long ago by Eastern medical science, is defence — that is, the body has the need and ability to defend itself against threats to its equilibrium, whether they be physical, emotional, or energetic. Having noted and studied the body’s defensive capabilities, Chinese doctors then explored the natural world to find ways of maintaining and enhancing them, and they discovered a number of ways to do so, including the administration of herbal remedies. Among these remedies are ginseng, astragalus, and several mushrooms that grow on trees, such as Ganoderma lucidum (known to the Chinese as ling chih and the Japanese as reishi).’
As well as enabling your cells to defend themselves against cancer, reishi helps immune cells bind to tumour cells and actually reduces the number of cancerous cells in your body, which makes it easier for T-cells and macrophages to get rid of them. However, there’s a fourth way in which reishi guards your wellbeing against cancer; through a substances called canthaxanthin. Phyllis A. Balch, author of Prescription for Dietary Wellness, comments, ‘Canthaxanthin acts as an antioxidant, boosts immunity, slows the growth of cancer cells, and may help to prevent skin and breast cancers. Food sources include mushrooms, particularly reishi, maitake, and shiitake.’
But it’s not only your body that can benefit from reishi; it’s also the mind. Dr. Ray Sahelia, author of Mind Boosters, asserts that the reishi mushroom can calm the mind, as well as improve memory, concentration and focus. It’s no wonder that, with all that reishi does, Herbal Medicine-Maker’s Handbook author James Green calls it a ‘remarkably beneficial fungus for the human body.’ The question remains, however; how much reishi should you take? Vitamin expert Earl Mindell, author of the Vitamin Bible for the Twenty-first Century, advises an average dose of 100 milligrams of reishi extract daily to boost your immune system. The Herbal Drugstore author Dr. Linda B. White, on the other hand, recommends up to three 1,000-milligram tablets up to three times per day. Therefore, you should consult your physician before taking reishi supplements, especially if you’re pregnant or lactating.
When something’s missing in the bedroom department, it can be difficult to admit there’s a problem, let alone find a way to fix it. If you’ve ever fantasised about a juicier sex life, or wanted to be closer to your partner, here are five tips to get things going between the sheets.
1. Do your own research: It’s just logical to assume you can’t tell your partner what works until you know yourself, so set aside some private time to explore your body and find out what gets you going. Regena Thomashauer, author of Mama Gena’s School of Womanly Arts, points out ‘There’s a scene in the Julia Roberts movie Runaway Bride where someone asks her what kind of eggs she likes, but she doesn’t know. When she dated a guy who liked scrambled eggs, she ate scrambled eggs. When he liked fried eggs, she ate hers fried. When he liked hard-boiled, she ate hard-boiled. In one scene, she finally lines them up and tastes them all, so she can make a decision, independent of any man. You can run this kind of experiment with your own body. Taste. Touch. Experiment. Discover.’
2. Own it: Even though fantasies can be wonderful for your sexual wellness, trying to be something you’re not can actually be damaging to your wellbeing – both in and out of the bedroom. If you’re a freak who likes to get wild but you’re afraid that your partner will be scared off, don’t be demure and quiet – own it! Likewise, if your partner wants you to dress up in a French maid’s outfit but you just don’t want to – own it! Sexual health is about more than orgasms and using protection, it’s also about discovering who you are and being your authentic self so that you can enhance your bedroom experience.
3. Put judgment aside: A lot of women are brought up to find pornography, vibrators and even fantasies to be wrong or gross, but if you do secretly enjoy it, embrace what turns you on. Allow yourself to feel desire for whatever makes you hot without letting your inner critic get in the way. You can still explore new things and be honest about your desires without losing your morality or values. Similarly, encourage your partner to explore his/her desires and be as open as you can without sacrificing your authenticity and integrity.
4. Actually make time for sex: If you make the time for doing the laundry and the washing up, you can equally make time for being intimate. It may feel like yet another thing on your to-do list, but sometime you don’t have the luxury of waiting for the perfect moment to arise when you’re both in the mood and free for some fun. Plus, scheduling – believe it or not – can be sexy, according to Laura Corn, author of the sexy, experiential how-to for planned seduction 101 Nights of Grrreat Sex, as you can send sexy texts throughout the day to get each other in the mood for the upcoming event.
5. Communicate openly: Lou Paget, author of How to Be a Great Lover, advises, ‘If you wish to give guidance during sex, limit your directions to just one word – left, up, harder, down. A sentence is often heard as criticism. A word is heard as direction. Use sounds as well. Make happy noises for what works. Speak up or withhold the happy noises when something isn’t working. If you feel comfortable, try masturbating in front of your partner to demonstrate what works for you. Even the world’s best athletes have coaches. They need someone who can show them and guide them. Don’t practice psychic sex, thinking your partner should know what you want. It’s crazy-making. Communicate what you need.’
When you want to eat a more nutritious diet and take care of your wellbeing, having the right mindset is half the battle. How do you make yourself choose carrot sticks over cake? Diet plans aren’t easy, especially when they deprive you of all the foods you love, so we’ve gathered the opinions of the best wellness experts around, to give you six smart, totally doable strategies.
1. Eat with your eyes first: According to Alice Waters, the owner of Chez Panisse, in Berkeley, California, and the author of In the Green Kitchen, ‘Presentation is important. Think of a farmers’ market: The way that vendors put produce in boxes and arrange the radishes is enticing. It’s an artistic experience.’ So, when putting together your own dishes at home, make it a sensory treat in more ways than one by creating that same visual seduction. Get inspiring with colours and arrangements of foods, as well as serving it on interesting cookware.
2. Don’t forget how bad you felt after the last time you wolfed down those chips: This is the practise of Michael Pollan, author of the every-bite-you-eat-counts bible Food Rules, who summons memories of his last foray into junk food to thwart unfortunate cravings. ‘When I don’t eat well, I don’t feel good, so it’s a self-reinforcing process,’ he explains. ‘The last time I ate a highly processed meal, I was up all night, thirsty from the salt and vaguely nauseated by the fillers and additives. On the other hand, when I eat real food, I feel good and get plenty of sleep.’
3. Get emotional about food: You probably already associate certain foods with emotional responses. Pizza might remind you of times you’ve shared one with friends, while nothing beats a tub of ice cream for the post-break-up blues. Try to make yourself see the emotional benefits of healthy food. David Kessler, a former commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration and the author of The End of Overeating, asserts, ‘Training yourself to stop craving salty, sugary, and fatty foods can’t be a cognitive process alone; it has to be emotional, too. Once you activate that circuitry, you’ll be able to recognise that this desire for junk is simply your brain playing a trick on you. That realisation allows you to move on to better things to eat.’
4. Keep fresh, long-lasting foods in your fridge: Martha Rose Shulman, author of The Very Best of Recipes for Health, comments, ‘I get nervous if I don’t have a vegetable available to put on my plate, so I make sure to keep the sturdiest produce on hand: Carrots, red cabbage, bell peppers, and romaine lettuce all last for up to a week.’
5. Save the steak for dinner time: If your goal is to reduce the amount of red meat you eat, make protein more of a side dish than the main event. Mark Bittman, author of The Food Matters Cookbook, adds, ‘I eat a vegan diet until 6pm and then whatever I want for dinner. That can be an elaborate restaurant feast or a simple meal at home. There’s nothing wrong with eating steak or other rich dishes, as long as you’re eating plants most of the time.’
6. Always eat dessert: Yes, you read that right. Marlene Schwartz, the deputy director of the Yale Rudd Centre for Food Policy and Obesity, in New Haven, Connecticut, notes, ‘My kids can have one dessert every day. This is how we teach balance and moderation.’ Go on, I know it’s hard advice, but indulge yourself!
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